This was so fun! For a YA read, the angst and sounk our group of characters had was right on par! The Ferris Bueller vibes were immaculate and overall this was just a really good time!

K. L. Walther’s newest is a treat, just like her previous books! Grace, Isa, James, and Everett are a delightful quad, even if their friendships are in the works. Walther doesn’t shy away from real challenges, but also imbues lighthearted fun into these characters. Read if you like Ferris Bueller!

This is fun YA book that gives Ferris buller’s day off vibes but with a touch more teen angst, romance, and drama. I liked all four of the main characters but it did feel like having four main characters meant that some plot lines didn’t get fully developed or resolved. The romances were cute but I would have loved more of the brother/sister and other family dynamics.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around (and read a fun romp of a book) once in a while, you could miss it.

This was super cute! For those who have never seen Ferris Bueller, they will appreciate the shenanigans and hijinks that ensue on a well-planned day off. For those who have seen the movie, they will appreciate all of the inside references (like the dog named Rooney, "Twist and Shout" playing, Saving Grace instead of Save Ferris, etc.)

And the characters themselves are just delightful. All four POVs were super fun, and I loved reading the unfolding romances between these long-time friends. The emphasis on how they are young and will make mistakes but they can still love deeply was poignant and works well for a YA novel. James in particular stood out to me as the gender-bent Jeanie; he is thrust into the role of the suspicious one as his sister causes chaos throughout Philly, though he normally presents as a Ferris-type. His love for Isa, the Cameron character, is deep and adorable.

Only a couple of things that knocked this down a star for me: I hated how Everett and Grace had sex in the end. This book presented as a fun romp and a joy, so to have it end that way felt super cheap and like a disservice to the characters. I also wish that there was more comedy with the principal, but I understand that there was a lot going on with four POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another fun, fast paced, enjoyable young adult romance from K. l. Walther. You will like this book if you are interested in high school hijinks, best friends, family issues, relationship troubles and lots of fun. It was light and easy and kept me wanting more throughout. As the characters go on their exciting adventure I was excited to see where every turn took us. It was mostly clean besides one quick closed door moment at the end. TBH this part felt unnecessary and easy to skip over depending on the audience. The ending felt a bit abrupt to me & I wanted more from what happens next but other than that I enjoyed the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Title: While We're Young
Author: K. L. Walther
Length: 384 pages
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: Mar 04 2025
Spice Level: closed-door
Genre: Romance | Teens & YA
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Summary:
A whirlwind romance inspired by *Ferris Bueller’s Day Off*, this story follows four friends navigating tangled love lives and broken hearts during an epic senior skip day in Philadelphia. With secrets, unexpected adventures, and a chance to mend friendships, they’ll face a day full of drama, cheesesteaks, and unforgettable moments before graduation.

Thoughts:
I FREAKED when I got this arc. K. L. Walther has written some of my top favorite books, and we can now add this one to the list. I’ve never seen all of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but this book has convinced me that I need to! This was such a fun, adventurous story that kept me wanting more. I loved the 4 different POVs (don’t worry, the chapters are labeled). I loved the mixture of adventure and romance (this author is the best at this combo!) Honestly, I just wanted to hang out with Grace, Isa, and Everett for this whole epic day. Or even keep James company while he’s trying to find the other 3. All the characters were super likable. All were going through some sort of personal struggle. And all was wrapped up well in the end. If you’re looking for a good time and an easy read that’s also got some depth to it I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Special thanks to the @netgalley and @randomhouse for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Guys, K.L. Walther has done it again. Another banger. I love everything she writes and she can do no wrong. 'While We're Young' was an amazing ATMOSPHERIC and precious story about three friends in their senior year navigating real life. This author's books are mainly marketed toward an YA audience, but the themes discussed in this book are real situations that anyone young or old can experience, and I love her for that. As I was reading, I feel like I was transported to Philly and experiencing it with the characters.

As far as the ending, I wanted some of the loose ends to tie up. E.g. I wish we got more information about Izzy's family and reactions about different things that occurred. IYKYK.
🧡🚕🧀🥩🏙️🚗🔑🎤🎶⛲️

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC

I love any and everything K.L. Walther. This book was of course great! I loved the characters and how easy it was to read. I flew through this! I would highly recommend.

While We’re Young by K.L. Walther is one of the best young adult romances I’ve read in a while! She never misses. I loved The Summer of Broken Rules, but this?! This was amazing!!
Starting off with the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off based plot, I was pleasantly surprised at how it was still original and modern. Also, as someone from outside of Philly, I appreciated the landmarks and references (except Everett and James talking about the Mets. F*** the Mets!) I loved the tie-ins to the original film when they were at Rittenhouse! So cute.
I also appreciated that each character seemed to share traits of a specific character in the movie, but it was more of a blend for some. No one was clearly Cameron, Sloane, Ferris, or Jeanie. I don’t want to spoil too much- especially considering it’s not out until 2025- but the romance in this is to die for! This is a MUST READ.
I am so excited to have this in the classroom as well! I have students who loved The Summer of Broken Rules. When I told them I was reading this, they were so very jealous!
To K.L. Walther: I was in a reading slump before this, so thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! This is one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year and cannot wait to get a physical copy in 2025 for myself and my students, who also adore you.


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the eARC.

Fun read full of friendship, adventure, and secrets. This is definitely a YA novel but still very engaging. Grace, Isa, Everett, and James were all very likable characters and their friendship and how things were handled was a lot and such a page turner.

Thank you Netgallery and the author for this arc. I love KL Wather’s books but this one fell a little flat. DNF at 20%. I could not relate to the characters who wanted one last horray, senior skip day with their squad of friends before their senior year ended.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 is an ode to the last year of high school and mending old friendships and pairing new relationships.

Grace Barbour has a secret, she's got a crush on her bestfriend Isa's ex.

Isa Cruz is not used to keeping things from her bestfriend but she certainly can't tell her she's in love with her brother....

- ~ -

This is an endearing retelling of 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘉𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘖𝘧𝘧 set over a sweet summer day.

I loved the antics of Grace getting Isa and Everett to skip school and James figuring everything out behind the scenes, it was hilarious. Although, the tone of the book is very middle school, it made for a fun easy read.

- ~ -

3.81 / 5☆

Thanks to Random House. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'll always pick up a KL Walther book! She writes such fresh characters that you can relate to. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it!

Walter's books are always an enjoyable YA read. I loved that this one was a take on Ferris Bueller! The chemistry between the characters was believable, and I would definitely recommend this one to my high school students.

K. L. Walther is quickly becoming one of my "auto- read" authors. And for good reason! I fell in love with The Summer of Broken Rules so I was overjoyed when I got approved for an arc of her newest book. Like The Summer of Broken Rules, I quickly fell in love with our main characters. I thought they were written well and I loved the banter they had. However, I do think that I am outgrowing the targeted reading demographic. This book reads like it is meant for the early high school level- and while they are cute and light and extremely fun, it is getting harder for me (22) to relate. It was a super face paced read- and it included a lot of flashbacks which could get a little messy at times. Overall, I did really enjoy this book! I think if you are looking to read something quick and easy this should be your pick.

This is a solid 3.5 stars!! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

my full review will be given later, but for now, the story was fun and was something to read for fun, but it wasn’t mind blowing or the most amazing book. I would give it a try if you’re just looking for something fun and cute!

K. L. Walther manages to fit not one but two sweet high school romances in this take on Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Three friends attempt an epic day off in Philadelphia while being chased down by own of their brothers trying to catch them in the act and more frighteningly, their strict principal. First there is Grace, the beloved class president. Second is probable valedictorian and perfect daughter Isa. The third truant is Everett, ex- boyfriend and ex-friend of Isa, who is quietly mourning his father and a potential future with Grace. Hot on their trail is James, Grace's brother and the usual school escape artist who is annoyed at his exclusion. The group reckons with their past and tries to forge their future over a day of highs, lows, and too-close encounters.

As this book takes place over one day, it occasionally feels drawn out, but then I was never a huge fan of Ferris Bueller either. Those that liked the movie will enjoy the nods to the original. Was it my favorite book ever? No. However, I did enjoy it for what it was, a quick day romp of high school hijinks.

K.L. Walther keeps me fed. And let me say that the second I understood what this was I was GIDDY. Who doesn’t want a Ferris Bueller retelling but with a Percy Jackson audiobook instead of barf sounds, art museum make outs, Philly cheesesteaks and a dog named Rooney???

I don’t usually read YA, but accidentally stumbled upon Summer of Broken Rules not knowing it was YA and I was hooked and was looking forward to another by K.L. Walther. While We’re Young was another fun read and did not disappoint! I loved the multi POV so we really got to know each character in the friend group. The premise of the story was light and fun, but it was not without the perfect amount of depth either.

While We’re Young aims to be a nostalgic, heartfelt adventure through Philadelphia, but unfortunately, it doesn’t fully deliver. Grace’s attempt to reunite her high school trio with a dramatic “skip day” feels like it has the makings of a great story, but the characters lack depth, and their motivations often feel unclear. The romantic entanglements, especially between Grace, Isa, and Everett, could have been interesting but instead feel underdeveloped, with little buildup or emotional weight behind their decisions.

While the concept of a Ferris Bueller-inspired day out is fun, it doesn’t quite compensate for the predictable plot and somewhat forced dialogue. The story’s pacing is quick, and the Philadelphia backdrop provides a nice setting, but overall, it lacks the emotional impact that could have made it memorable. Fans of Walther’s previous work may still enjoy it, but this one doesn’t reach the author’s usual standard.